France v Wallabies (RWC Warm-up), 28/8 1.45AM AEST

[Fergo]

Exactly how I'm feeling. Should be an awesome tournament regardless of how we do and we've got some great youngsters.

That’s the spirit. Get behind the future of Australian rugby. If the players know the nation is behind them it creates the confidence to deliver.

 

[qwerty51]

We were so predictable. Valetini trucked it up over and over so after the first 10 minutes the French knew what to expect. Ditto with the lineout. We kept going to Hooper until they started picking him off, and after that as well.
I felt like we played very narrow and kept Petaia out of the game. When we did go wide good things happened.

This seems a massive flaw for us with Skelton, McReight and Valetini in here.

I think we're missing Jed bigly. Lineout was good with him (until he fucked up that one time AFTER he won it).

Maul wasn't great with him but I think it was better.

McReight's got to go, either move Hooper back to 7 or bring in a taller jumper (Gleeson) at 7.

 

[Tomthumb]

McReight’s got to go? Seriously?

Holloway has had so many chances, he just isn’t up to it around the field

 

[qwerty51]

If you don’t like him fine, then Leota at 6 with Hooper 7. The current backrow combo is too easily targeted at the lineout.

 

[Tomthumb]

I don’t think the makeup of the team is the issue, more the execution at lineout time

I don’t care if they know where it’s going, with a good jump, a good lift, a well timed throw at the right trajectory you should still win the lineout

McReight is playing good rugby and an important link player

 

[Derpus]

I don’t think the makeup of the team is the issue, more the execution at lineout time

I don’t care if they know where it’s going, with a good jump, a good lift, a well timed throw at the right trajectory you should still win the lineout

McReight is playing good rugby and an important link player

But what if the other team does the exact same thing because they know where its going? All things being equal it would be a 50/50 chance either way. That's kind of the point of lineouts.

 

[Tomthumb]

But what if the other team does the exact same thing because they know where its going? All things being equal it would be a 50/50 chance either way. That's kind of the point of lineouts.

Because knowing where it’s going and when it’s going there are 2 different things

The opponent can’t jump before you, it’s not 50/50, it’s a contest for possession that is dictated by the team throwing in

 

[Overtime]

Because knowing where it’s going and when it’s going there are 2 different things

The opponent can’t jump before you, it’s not 50/50, it’s a contest for possession that is dictated by the team throwing in

We definitely need more lineout options. With Skelton Captain and in the second row blind freddie could see we were going to have line out issues. McReight is a very good rugby player but at international level the game has changed. Pilferers are not having the same impact they once had. Bigger, stronger players however are. Hollaway is exactly what the team needs as he is great in the lineout, a much bigger body than McReight therefore more impact in the contact and can play six, no 8 and lock. Would play Tom Hooper at 7, Hollaway at 6 and Valetini at No 8 with Gleeson, Leota coming in off the bench.

 

[qwerty51]

Big deal if McReight can support run, so can Gleeson and he’d make a bigger impact running and tackling.

 

[Tomthumb]

Would play Tom Hooper at 7, Hollaway at 6 and Valetini at No 8

Just like they did in Melbourne…

 

[Tomthumb]

Big deal if McReight can support run, so can Gleeson and he’d make a bigger impact running and tackling.

He’s a good ball carrier, but is not the link player (which is actually a big deal), tackler, jackaler or around the field worker that McReight is

 

[qwerty51]

i don’t think that first half looked any worse than the last 2 first halves, nor the 2nd half any worse than the last 2 second halves in terms of performances from the pack.

 

[Overtime]

Just like they did in Melbourne…

Well the backrow were not any worse against the All Blacks in Melbourne than they were against the French on the weekend. Tom Hooper has played 4 games this year (4 zip) and Rob Valetini has played 5 games this year (5 zip). McReight I think has started three times this year for 3 zip. We will continue to get killed in the line outs without a third line out option. Simple as that.

 

[Tomthumb]

Well the backrow were not any worse against the All Blacks in Melbourne than they were against the French on the weekend. Tom Hooper has played 4 games this year (4 zip) and Rob Valetini has played 5 games this year (5 zip). McReight I think has started three times this year for 3 zip. We will continue to get killed in the line outs without a third line out option. Simple as that.

Define “killed” in the lineouts? Because the stats don’t really back that up

 

[qwerty51]

Stats don't tell you much, if Aus win the ball but it's messy and we're immediately under pressure because a jumper couldn't catch it (from the French pressure) does the stat tell you that? If they steal a ball but somehow goes to us, does the stat put that down as a steal? If we overthrow or miss the jumper but our backline tidies it up, does that go down as a lineout lost?

Our lineout went to shit.

 

[dru]

Well the backrow were not any worse against the All Blacks in Melbourne than they were against the French on the weekend. Tom Hooper has played 4 games this year (4 zip) and Rob Valetini has played 5 games this year (5 zip). McReight I think has started three times this year for 3 zip. We will continue to get killed in the line outs without a third line out option. Simple as that.

No we don't "continue" to get killed in the line outs. Like yourself I thought the lineout not up to speed against France. But prior to that it had been going very well. I actually think that EJ (Eddie Jones) had solved the line out compromise with Big Will utilising Porecki and a second jumper from the back row. It definitely slipped in that last game. We jumped from the front mostly and compromised the maul in the process. It had been going well before and I expect that to continue.

Personally I'd start McReight but I'll not get irked if we don't. The line out is a daft reason to drop him though. Really daft.

 

[Tomthumb]

Stats don't tell you much, if Aus win the ball but it's messy and we're immediately under pressure because a jumper couldn't catch it (from the French pressure) does the stat tell you that? If they steal a ball but somehow goes to us, does the stat put that down as a steal? If we overthrow or miss the jumper but our backline tidies it up, does that go down as a lineout lost?

Our lineout went to shit.

So we shouldn’t over react to small sample sizes when it comes to England playing rubbish in a warm up match, but we should over react to a bad lineout in a warm up match?

 

[qwerty51]

Well it's the problem what caused the poor lineouts, it wasn't poor throwing (IMO), so we can't just write off Porecki having a bad day. Maybe the jumping was poor but they just read our lineout too easily and knew when it was going to Hooper got up in front of him.

I think teams will exploit us knowing we only have 2 solid jumpers and Valetini.

It's possible it goes back to normal when Frost calls again?

 

[dru]

Well it's the problem what caused the poor lineouts, it wasn't poor throwing (IMO), so we can't just write off Porecki having a bad day. Maybe the jumping was poor but they just read our lineout too easily and knew when it was going to Hooper got up in front of him.

I think teams will exploit us knowing we only have 2 solid jumpers and Valetini.

It's possible it goes back to normal when Frost calls again?

Sorry, what was the issue causing the lineout problem? McReight? Or am I misreading you?

 

[qwerty51]

Overreliance on Hooper, Arnold marked up well so they called to Hooper who was beaten in front early.
The issue is McReight isn't a good option at all (or Valetini really).

On a maul setup, it's pretty obvious it won't go to Skelton, McReight and Valetini (so it seems but it's an obvious bit of analysis - they're not useful at the front).